1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a duct for conveying hot air to a selected area on the inside surface of the skin of an aerostructural leading-edge compartment of an aircraft for preventing accumulation of ice on the corresponding external surface of the skin in said selected area.
2. Related Art
It is known to channel hot air, derived from a turbo fan engine served by an inlet cowl, to a spray ring located within an annular leading edge compartment of the cowl. The hot air is sprayed from the spray ring onto the selected skin area and thence exhausts into the engine intake duct by means of an annular slot in the skin at the rear edge of the compartment.
It will be appreciated that total control over the rate of supply of the hot air may not be practicable, so that there may be occasions when the air exhausting from the exhaust slot into the engine intake is still at a temperature sufficient to introduce a risk of degradation of any composite structures present in the skin immediately downstream of the exhaust slot.
One object of the present invention is to obviate this hazard.